Beet-topper.



lvm-91,687. l PATBNTED JUNB5,1905.

. L. GBTT-ELMANN.

BEET TOPPER. APPLIQATION FILED vnov'. 7, 1904.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED. JUNE 6, 1905.

L. GETTELMANN.

BEET TOPPER. AQPLIQATIONYHLED Nov. '1, 1904.v

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

la @Elib No. 791,637.. PATENTEDJUNB 6,1905.

1..-GET'TELMANN- I l Y BEET TOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1904.

8 BHEETB'-EHEET 3.

No. 791,687. PATENTED JUNBG; 1905.

L. GETTBLMAMI.A BERT TOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV'.k 7, 1904'.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5 No. tenesse'.A

' .UNITED- STATES- i Patented June 6, 1905.

PATENTA OFFICE.

BEST-TOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 791,687, dated J une 6,1905.

Application filed November 7, 1904:. Serial No. 231,648.

To @ZZ whom it may concer-71,:

Be it known that I, LUDWIG GE'ITELMANN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of South Germantown, in thecounty of Washington and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Toppers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,andeXact-description thereof. y The invention consists in certainpeculiarities of construction and combination of parts hereinafterparticularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings andsubsequently claimed, the object of the invention being to providesimple, economical, and enlicient machines fortopping beets and clearingaway the tops preliminary to the removal of said beets fromthe ground inwhich they are grown. p

Figure 1 of the drawingsrepresents a partlysectional side elevation of abeet-topping machine in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, ahorizontal sectional view of themachine, this View being indicated bylines 2 2 in Fig. l; Fig. 3, avertical llongitudinal section view of themachine on line 3 3 in Fig. 4; Fig. 4, a rear elevation of the machine,partly in section; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the draftframe of themachine; Fig. 6, a detail plan View, partly in horizontal section,`illustrating the cutting and 1 conveying mechanism embodied in themachine;and'Figs. 7 and 8, detail sectional views respectively indicatedby lines 7 7 and 8 8 in Fig. 6. c

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates a horizontalrectangular frame having a cross-bar b fastened thereon between the endslof same, said bar andA frame being preferably made from angle-iron. Adraft-tongue B and seat-bar C are fastened to the cross-bar and ends ofthe frame; 'Hangers c for an axle vD depend from the rear corners of theframe, and struts d are employed to br'ace these hangers. Other hangerse e depend from the frontcorners of the frame and another hanger f ismade fast to the front end of said frame. The hangers e e are connectedby braces g with the struts aforesaid.

Traction-wheels E are fast on the axle D, that is loose in its hangers,and a sprocketwhich a bolt m extends.

wheel F is loose on the aXle. Splined on the -aXle to be engaged withthe hub of the aforesaid sprocket-wheel is a clutch G, and a lever H, inpivotal vconnection with a rear stud h,

attached to the frame A, has Spanner connec- 5 v `A link belt connectstion with the clutch. the sprocket-wheel F with a similar wheel F',

fast on a shaft' I, that turns in the bearings .ef`

on the shaft I and a stud y' of the hanger e' f are the forward ends ofa pair of beams K L, the rear ends of which extend down and forward,their forward extensions being inclined. The upper portions of the beamsare connected by braces 71; and a cross-bar lc, through A A spiralspring M is connected at its ends to the bolt m and a bracket n attachedto the draft-'frame A, and the tension of the springis regulated bymeans of a thumb-nntp on said vbolt in opposition to the cross-bar loaforesaid. .Loose in a bracket g of each of the vbeams K L is a headedrod r, in which a pin s is inserted under the bracket, and a spiralspring N surrounds the rod between its head and said bracket. Bars t areconnected to the cross-bar vb and rear ings on the bars is a rock-shaftO, havingl cranks u in pivotal connection with the heads of the rods a",this rock-shaft being controlled by a lever P, provided with aspring-latch e, engageable with a notched quadrant w on the draft-frame.nected beams K L and parts in connection therewith, counterbalanced bythe'springs M, are raised and lowered. The springsN serve By means ofthe lever the con-H asa yielding resistance to automatic lift of thebeams KL and parts in connection there-l tween collars z of same and theguide-ears y are spiral springs R, by which yielding resistance is hadto automatic lift of the swing-p IOO ' terposed block.

plate W is made fast to the one, U, under the in universal-jointconnection with the shaft J' above specified.

Mounted on the inclined lower forward extensions of the rear ends of thebeams K Lis plate U, supporting a spacing-block V, that in turn supportsanother plate U, both plates being extended forward and back of the in-Between the beams another same, and a knife X is made fast on theforwardly-extending portion of the under plate. Arranged between theplates U U adjacent to the ends of the spacing-block V are asprocket-wheel Y and a roller Y', fast on spindles for which suitablebearings are provided, and engaging said sprocket-wheel and roller is alink belt Y, having blades YH in connection therewith to form aconveyer, said belt being shielded by the plates aforesaid.`

The spindle Z of the sprocket-wheel Y is bevelgeared to a shaft Z, forwhich the beams K L are provided with bearings, and by means of linkbelt and sprocket-wheel gear motion is communicated to said shaft fromthe shaft I aforesaid.

Loose on a stud b of a side piece of the swing-frame above specified isa colter Z, by which sprawling branches of the beet-tops are cut offahead of the tapered and spirallyribbed roller above specified.

In practice the beams K L and swing-frame, with parts in connectiontherewith, are swung down into working position, and as the machinemoves ahead the colter Z/l performs its function aforesaid. The axlehaving been p ut into clutch with the sprocket-wheel F, rotary motion iscommunicated to the tapered and spirally-ribbed roller T, as well as tothe conveyer back of said roller.

The roller operates to gather the uncut branches of the beets togetherclear of the knife X, by which said beets are topped, the cuttings beingcaught by the conveyer and moved off to one side of the machine.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A beet-topping machine comprising a draft-frame, axle andtraction-wheels; connected counterbalanced beams in pivotally-adjustableindependently-yielding connection with the frame, a knife and conveyerin connection with the beams, a swing-frame in independently yieldingconnection with the beams, a tapered and spirally-ribbed roller hung inthe Aswing-frame ahead of the knife partly over the same, and means forimparting rotary motion from said axle to said roller and conveyer.

2. A beet-topping machine comprising a draft-frame, axle andtraction-wheels; connected counterbalanced beams in pivotally-adjustableindependently-yielding connection with the frame, a knife and conveyerin connection with the beams, a swing-frame in independently-yieldingconnection with the beams, a colter and a tapered and spirally-ribbedroller supported by the swing-frame one ahead of the other forward ofthe knife, the roller being partly over said knife; and means forimparting rotary motion from said axle to said roller and conveyer.

3. A beet-topping machine comprising a draft-frame, axle andtraction-wheels; connected counterbalanced beams in pivotallyadjustableindependently-yielding connection with the frame and having lowerforwardlyextended inclined ends, a knife and conveyer supported on saidends of the beams, a swingframe in independently-yielding connectionwith the beams, a tapered and spirally-rihbed roller hung in the-swing-frame ahead of the knife partly over the same, and means forinlparting rotary motion from said axle to said roller and conveyer.

4. A beet-topping machine comprising a draft-frame, axle andtraction-wheels; connected counterbalanced beams in pivotally-adjustableindependently-yielding connection with the frame, a knife and conveyerin connection with the beams, a swing-frame in independently yieldingconnection with the beams, a tapered and spirally-ribbed roller hung inthe spring-frame ahead of the knife partly over the same, a shaft insuspension from said draft-frame and in universal-joint connection withthe roller, and means for iniparting rotary motion from said axle tosaid shaft and the conveyer.

5. A beet-topping machine comprising a draft-frame, axleandtraction-wheels; connected counterbalanced beams in pivotally-adjustableindependently-yielding connection with the frame, a knife and conveyerin connection with the beams, a swing-frame in independently yieldingconnection with the beams, a tapered and spirally-ribbed roller hung inthe swing-frame ahead of the knife partly over the same, andclutch-controlled means for imparting rotary motion from said axle tosaid roller and conveyer.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lisconsin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

LUDWIG G'ETTELMAN N.

Ihlitnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, GEORGE FELBER.

IOO

IIO

